911 briefs -- Published Oct. 31, 2013

STOCKTON - Authorities are investigating a case of grand theft after thieves stole a trailer containing tens of thousands of dollars worth of Japanese drums from a Victory Park home early Wednesday morning, police said.

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By The Record

recordnet.com

By The Record

Posted Oct. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By The Record

Posted Oct. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - Authorities are investigating a case of grand theft after thieves stole a trailer containing tens of thousands of dollars worth of Japanese drums from a Victory Park home early Wednesday morning, police said.

The theft occurred between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. in the 1200 block of Yale Avenue, said Earle Fox, 60, who owns the drums. Fox was inside his home when someone stole a 2008 Wells Cargo trailer from his driveway. Inside the trailer were 17 drums worth between $50,000 and $100,000, Fox said.

The trailer has Japanese writing and dragon decals on both sides, Fox said. The license plate number is TAIKOFX.

Fox said he has owned most of the drums for 10 to 15 years. The retired elementary school teacher now leads after-school programs teaching taiko, a Japanese word for drums, to students at Bear Creek and Lincoln high schools, Primary Years Academy and El Dorado School, where he taught for 17 years. Fox said his taiko students have performed at a number of community events over the years.

"I'm very disappointed in the people who decided they had so steal the equipment," Fox said. "I'm still stunned. This is going to deprive hundreds of kids."

STOCKTON - Authorities acted quickly to apprehend a fugitive who returned to Stockton this week three months after investigators obtained an arrest warrant accusing him of molesting his ex-girlfriend's daughter, police said.

Authorities allege that Chanyun Pech, 47, sexually assaulted the victim multiple times when she was between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. A $3 million warrant was issued for Pech's arrest in late July, but he fled to another state in August, police said.

Investigators from the Stockton Police Department received a tip Tuesday indicating that Pech had returned to Stockton to visit family, authorities said. Detectives notified a U.S. Marshals Service task force and provided them with information about Pech's possible whereabouts, police said.

Task force members saturated the area and spotted Pech in a car near Pyrenees Avenue and Cherbourg Way, authorities said. Pech was arrested without incident on suspicion of lewd acts upon a child 10 years of age or younger, police said. He is being held at San Joaquin County Jail on $3 million bail, according to jail records.

STOCKTON - A man told police he was driving around Stockton looking for drugs Wednesday when he was kidnapped and robbed by someone he let into his vehicle, authorities said.

The victim picked up the robber about noon near Rosemarie Lane and North Pershing Avenue, police said. The robber told the victim he had a gun and demanded he hand over his wallet and cellphone, officers said.

The robber then ordered the victim to drive to a market and give him his ATM pin number so he could withdraw cash, police said. The victim complied and then drove the robber back to North Pershing Avenue and Rosemarie Lane, where he fled on foot.

The robber was described as a Latino man about 25 years old standing 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes, a tan Starter jacket and blue jeans, authorities said.

STOCKTON - The San Joaquin County Coroner's Office on Wednesday identified a motorcyclist who died after being involved in a collision early Tuesday in south Stockton.

Kenneth Hammond, 56, of Acampo was going west on Arch Airport Road just east of South Airport Way shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday when he collided with another vehicle traveling the same direction, police said. Hammond was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, authorities said.